Debra Lowe strikes Gregory Hyde in road rage incident
A respected community-minded woman snapped in a “road-rage” incident in which she used her vehicle to strike a man who flipped her the bird, a Queensland court was told.
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A respected community-minded woman snapped in a “road-rage” incident in which she used her vehicle to strike a man who flipped her the bird, a Queensland court was told.
Debra Ann Lowe, a disability support pensioner, pleaded guilty in the Ingham Magistrates Court on Thursday to the sole count of dangerous operation of a vehicle in the Hinchinbrook township on September 9 last year.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) prosecutor Danny Burke said the victim, Gregory Hyde, contacted police to report that “the defendant had attempted to run him over” in a camper van at the rear of Woolworths Ingham on Ann Street at 3.30pm.
“(She’s) driven the vehicle towards him and struck him on the right hand, causing pain and swelling.”
Mr Burke said there had been “ongoing issues” between Lowe and the complainant – Gregory Hyde and his family – who were living on the bottom floor of her home.
He said CCTV showed Lowe’s vehicle “across the centreline on to the wrong side of the road” although the view of the actual impact was obscured by bushes.
“Fortunately the injuries are at the lower end.”
Mr Burke said even given Lowe’s lack of previous offending and good character, the incident was a serious one.
He agreed with Magistrate Peter Smid that the incident was one of “road rage”.
“It’s road rage Your Honour and as stated, fortunately no one has been severely injured in the circumstances.”
Defence lawyer Jessika Hockings submitted multiple character references attested to the fact that her client was a “community minded person who is caring and assists multiple people in the community”.
Magistrate Smid said the references may all be wonderful but the incident was “bad news”.
“She’s very lucky she’s not on a higher charge.”
Ms Hockings said the offence was out of character and the result of a “momentary lapse of judgement and frustration”.
“There is a long history of bad faith between the complainant and Ms Lowe, there’s been years of abuse and derogatory names directed and threats directed at Ms Lowe from the complainant and his family.”
Ms Hockings said that when the family had arrived in Ingham, Ms Lowe had offered Mr Hyde and his family housing underneath her residence.
“Shortly after that there were police call-outs due to the family’s behaviour, when she has asked them to leave, they have refused – she ended up having to go to QCAT to get an eviction order,” she said.
“Even the day before the offending, there was an incident out the front of Woolworths, police were called because the complainant and his family had been calling out derogatory names to Ms Lowe.”
Ms Hockings said her client had been triggered when Mr Hyde had given her the finger as she drove past.
Mr Hyde, a fixture of the Ingham court, is the father of alleged murder victim Josh Hyde and Thomas Hyde who has multiple serious convictions and was once almost shot by police as he brandished an axe.
Magistrate Smid thanked Ms Hockings for the context, including “offering accommodation to needy people and then being abused”, labelling the incident a “brain-snap”.
Lowe was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
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Originally published as Debra Lowe strikes Gregory Hyde in road rage incident
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